Canada may not rejoin Kyoto Protocol in 2013

Peter Kent, a member of Canada's Conservative Party and the nation's federal environment minister, recently announced that Ottawa will not be renewing its commitments with the Kyoto Protocol.

The agreement, which is in place to put a global focus on reducing emissions, will expire in 2012, and a new four-year contract will begin in 2013. CTV reports that Canada has struggled to meet the requirements of reducing emissions, and Conservative politicians believe that continuing to work to meet these standards will have an adverse effect on the nation's economy. Kent's statement, which was made at an international climate change convention, spurred criticism from a number of opposing party members.

"If the goal is to have a global binding treaty to reduce emissions that includes all countries, the mechanism to do that lies in the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol," Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party, said at the conference, according to the news source. "Kyoto is necessary."

Canadians who are working or studying outside of the country can use international phone cards to call to Canada and find out the latest news on which direction the government is heading concerning Kyoto and reducing emissions.